Paul McCartney Claims Sony Is Devaluing His Beatles Rights

On Wednesday, Paul McCartney responded to Sony/ATV’s suggestion that he brought an “unripe” lawsuit seeking confirmation he’ll reclaim rights to Beatles songs next year. In a letter to the judge, his lawyer Michael Jacobs writes, “Delay would not simplify the parties’ dispute, but it would prejudice McCartney. As long as Sony/ATV refuses to disavow any right to sue for breach of contract, McCartney has a cloud over the title to his works, which devalues his rights.”

McCartney sued in January and looked for assurance that under §304(c) of the U.S. Copyright Act, he has the ability to grab back rights to works by serving a notice of termination. The legendary musician expects to do so in 2018, but he’s worried, due to a case involving a Sony affiliate over in the U.K. There, an English court ruled that Duran Duran‘s contractual promise to not transfer its interest in copyrights foreclosed the band’s ability to terminate a grant of rights. The British justice believes it isn’t necessary to heed an aspect of American copyright law that states that termination of a grant “may be effected notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary.”

In reaction to the lawsuit, Sony sent its own letter to the judge in anticipation of a conference that would lay out a forthcoming motion to dismiss.